A Spider and a Mockingbird

The Red Keep, King's Landing, Crownlands

The members of the small council were as usual gathered for a meeting for the 'welfare' of the people of Westeros. Surprisingly a sober Robert was also present today and was drinking from his cup.

"Shit. This stuff is strong. A man's drink like they say. So what are you waiting for. Just get on with it." Robert roared while Cersei sneered in disgust. The King has now become a fan of northern Vodka and has stopped drinking wine.

"What reports do you have Lord Varys?" asked Jon Arryn the Hand of the King. "Let us begin with Dorne."

The spider tittred and said, " They are silent as usual Lord Hand. They are still closed after war."

Jon said, "Yes that. It is understandable since the unfortunate events in the war. Let it remain like that. Let us give them some more time."

"Just call the banners and attack them, and bring them into the realm by force. If it was my father he could have done that by now." Cersei gave her expert opinion.

"It seems that Her Grace is keen to see Tywin the Old Lion sharing the fate of Daeron the Young Dragon." said Stannis.

Robert laughed out loudly. Jon internally laughed and told Cersei, "Your grace the North and the Dorne cannot be taken forcefully. Perhaps we must discuss a marriage alliance with the Martells Your Grace."

Immediately Cersei screamed, "Absolutely not. I will not have my children among those snakes. They should be thankful that they are still the ruling house of Dorne after the war.

Robert roared, "Stop screaming woman. Nobody asked your opinion. You don't know anything about war. But I agree with her Jon. There will be no royal alliance with those Martells."

Jon said, "Yes Your Grace. What about the Reach, Lord Varys?"

" Everything is stable in Reach, Your Grace. Even though Lord Mace Tyrell is the lord of Reach, it is Lady Olenna who is incharge." said Varys with a smile.

The Master of Coin Petyr Baelish suddenly interrupted, "Your Grace, there is a request for reduction in tax from the Reach Lords. They claim that their export of grains have decreased these days."

Then Jon asked, "What is the state of the treasury Baelish?"

Baelish smirked and replied, "We are currently in more than one million dragons debt to the Iron Bank, Lord Hand."

" Tell them that their request is denied. And Petyr please see how we can settle those debts." Jon told Baelish.

With a mocking smile Baelish said, " I will try to the best of my abilties Lord Hand."

"What else Lord Varys," Jon asked.

"There is discontent among the lords in the Stormlands your grace. Lord Renly's occasional long absence seems to the cause." Varys replied.

Cersei said, "Perhaps we should place a suitable regent for Renly if he cannot do his duty properly."

"Perhaps someone from your family I assume," Stannis said gritting his teeth.

Cersei sneered and was about to retort when Robert stopped them, " Stop bickering you too. I will talk with Renly. What next?"

Varys said, "Nothing particular from the Crownlands or Westerlands your grace. But there seems to be some discontent towards the the Tully's in the Riverlands. It seems like the Reach they are also not able to sell their foodgrains."

Jon said, "Your Grace, Hoster had requested the crowns interference so that the North buys more food from them."

Robert roared, "Tell the Tully's to deal with the matter themselves. The North is prospering finally and he is just angry that his blood is not ruling the North. He had the gall to request me to declare Ned's nephew a bastard."

Everyone shuddered at that memory. Few years ago Hoster Tully had come to the King requesting him to declare Aryan a bastard suggesting that there is no proof of his legitimacy. Robert had become so angry at that was just an inch away from killing him. They all had learned a lesson that day. Insulting a Stark in front of Robert was a dangerous thing, which they all have followed since then.

Quickly changing the subject Varys continued on his reports "There seem to be a lot of activities in Iron Islands. They are building new ships Your Grace. My birds also tell me Lord Balon is holding meeting with his fellow Lords."

At this Robert and Stannis looked at each other. Robert said, "Keep an eye on them spider. I want to know what happens there immediately."

"Don't you think, it would be prudent to inform the Reach, Westerlands, Riverlands and North to be alert Your Grace." Stannis asked.

"Yes. Do what he says Pycelle," Robert told Grandmaster Pycelle.

Coughing and weezing he replied,"Yes Your Grace."

"Anything from North spider?" Robert asked already feeling bored and getting drunk.

"Lord Eddard Stark along with his family had moved to Moat Cailin few moons ago Your Grace. Also they had been blessed with a son, Rickon Stark." Varys said.

"Good old Ned. Seems like the quite wolf is keeping Catelyn busy. There are more than enough Starks in the North these days." Robert smiled and said to Jon.

Nobody saw the forced smile and the hard eyes of Petyr Baelish.

"Also the Manderlys fleet has been completed Your Grace. They are now building a fleet at the West Coast under Lord Benjen Stark. The Northern Lords seem to highly respect Aryan Stark, Your Grace as it is because of him the North is finally prospering." Varys said.

"The boy has not yet reached majority yet Your Grace. If Ned cannot continue his regency perhaps we should look for replacement Your Grace." Jon told Robert.

Before Cersei could say anything Robert said,"The boy seems to be doing a good job there. Also Ned had said that he is a bright lad. Honest people there you know. They are even richer and also paying more tax than before. Isn't it Littlefinger?"

"Yes Your Grace." Baelish said.

"I agree Your Grace. Lord Stark has so many ideas and theories that had my fellow masters at the Citadel impressed. Archmaster Marwin has now become the official master of Winterfell." suddenly chimed Pycelle in an energetic voice.

" let the boy do his work. No need for any regency. Ned can take care if anything happens." Robert declared. " Now that Ned is nearer perhaps I should visit him. It will be just like old times."

Cersei said, "Stark is your subject Robert. Just command him to come here and the wolf will come here running like a loyal dog."

Robert started getting angry, "Be quite woman. You will not tell me what I should do or not." Then turning a Varys he asked, "And what of the Dragon spawns?"

"They were last seen at Volantis Your Grace. But they are proving difficult to keep track of." Varys said with a smile.

"Well put more men to it. I want them dead. I want all dragon spawns dead." Robert said angrily. "Anything else Jon."

Jon said, "The High Septon is concerned with the decreasing followers of faith in North especially in the White Harbour Your Grace. A few septons were thrown out of Winterfell he alleges. He wants you to do something as you are defender of the faith."

Before Robert could say anything they were interrupted by a messenger saying," Forgive me Your Grace. The Ironborn have attacked and Lannisport has been burnt."

Robert looked at Jon and said grimly, "Call the banners. Time to kill some squids. Dismissed."

Sitting in a room and reading new reports from his birds Varys thought about the meeting. He had known that the Ironborn were going to attack but he delayed the information. His job was to weaken the Westeros so that when his nephew is ready they could easily take over Westeros. He had been trying this for quite sometime. He had come to offer his services to the Mad King. He used to whisper false information to Aerys making him suspicious of his lords, his friends and then his own family. Their plan was to marry Prince Rhaegar to his sister. So when Steffon Baratheon and his wife were returning from Essos after finding a suitable Valerian bride for Rhaegar at the behest of the King, he had sabotaged the ship and they died. Unfortunately Aerys had become unpredicatable in his madness and he married off Rhaegar to Elia Martell. While it was a brief hindrance to their plans he started giving the already frail Elia slow poison just like they did for Rhaella still she bore Rhaegar two sons. Then Rhaegar had to abduct the Stark girl and the rebellion happened and all their plans were wasted. But it also gave them a new opening for a new plan which they had begun.

But the recent changes in the North had concerned him. It seemed that Lord Aryan and Eddard Stark had implemented many changes in North. The once poor North was slowly becoming powerful. He was also frustrated that he was not getting any concrete information from Winterfell.

He had been in this game for long. All others currently in the game were predictable for he knew what they wanted. All wanted the Iron Throne. Cersei though herself to be player, but she was short sighted unlike Tywin who was better player than her but still predictable. Then there was the Queen of Thornes, but beyond the Reach she was nothing. The Martells were quiet. But he knew of the marriage alliance they had done with Viserys Targaryen even though Doran kept tight lipped. The new master of coin Petyr Baeslish was proving to be troublesome, something he was keeping an eye on.

But now a new player has entered the game, an unpredictable one and he felt a slight fear for the first time but suppressed it. He would do what he always did - Wait and Watch. The Black Dragons would prevail in the end.

~

A loud moan filled with pain echoed through the room while the sound of flesh slapping flesh filled the room.

"Yes my sweet Cat, my love. You are mine. Mine alone," roared the normally calm Littlefinger in a drunken state, as he fucked the red headed whore below him and squeezing her neck. Her face was turning blue from lack of breath and was desperately struggling.

As he started to climax he squeezed her even harder and by the time he was finished she lay still. 'The fifth one.' he thought. Whenever Cat gave birth to a new life he used to take someone else's.

'Damn the Starks' he cursed. The day he had lost to Brandon Stark in the duel, he had promised to eliminate all the Starks from the World. It was him who intercepted Lyanna's letter to the other Starks and started the rumours that the wolf-bitch was kidnapped. As expected the impulsive Brandon Stark got killed while watching Rickard Stark burning whose death was a bonus for him. He had hoped now he would get his Cat. But no, she was then married to Eddard Stark. He hoped Eddard would get killed in the war. But he didn't. Not only did he survive, he had brought the spawn of Brandon Stark. And now the North was slowly prospering.

But he was a patient man. He had turned his attention to Cat's sister Lysa who was always enamoured with him. When he lay injured after the duel she looked after him and he had fucked her imagining her to be his Cat. She got pregnant and Hoster was angry. He expelled him out and gave Lysa moon tea to kill the child. Now she was married to Jon and still struggling to produce a heir for the Arryn but still loved Littlefinger. A few honeyed words and a good fuck sometimes, she was now his puppet. Through her he had slowly rose from an accountant at Gultown to now the Master of Coin of Westeros. While slowly siphoning funds from Westeros he was also becoming rich. Since it was him who payed the gold cloaks they were also under his control. He had made Janos Slynt his trusted aide as the commander of City Watch. Even though it had been only three years since his appointment he has slowly become one of the most powerful men in Kingslanding even if the others did not know about it. Lysa's son Robin Arryn is also his bastard. He had plans for the boy but in a few years.

'Chaos is a ladder' he said to himself. Soon the time would come. A lie from him had led Westeros into war and chaos. He liked it. The Wolf, the Lion, the Stag, the Rose all would be at each others throat and Littlefinger would rise in that chaos. He smiled to himself.